Sacred Bindings
by Belladonna-Veilsin
Summary: Kagome comes upon a familiar scene: demon bound to a tree with a sacred arrow. But it isn't Inuyasha, and the demon isn't asleep. SessXKag overtures


**SesshomaruXKagome Sesshomaru is bound to a tree, much like Inuyasha was. Oh, and the vocab is more American, fyi. Actually, there's some American-esque OOCness.**

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After another stupid shouting match with Inuyasha (I know, who could see that coming), I had wandered off into the woods to clear my head. Not too far in, I began to sense something. It felt muted, like a large body of water held back by a dam. It was odd, so I followed my senses to it.

Sesshomaru was pinned to a tree with an arrow in his heart. My heart sped up at the sight; how could Sesshomaru have been bound in the exact same way as his younger half-brother? There was a big difference, though. Sesshomaru was awake when I arrived.

As soon as I entered the clearing, his face contorted with fury. "Wench! Unbind me! You may think yourself clever by entrapping me now, but when I free myself and come find you, you'll feel a great deal less clever."

I'd never really seen Sesshomaru display that much emotion. "You think I did this? Let me guess, looked like me, dressed as a priestess, cold face, and expression to rival yours?"

That gave him pause. He leaned his head forward and inhaled deeply through his nose. "It wasn't you. You're the human wench who follows my brother. She...smelled a bit like you, but clay and bones...how can my senses be so diminished?"

Deja vu all over again. I'm not Kikyo. I cautiously made my way closer. "That's a sacred arrow. I'm not surprised you can't smell as well; I'm pretty surprised that you're conscious."

A look of disdain fixed on Sesshomaru's face. "I'm surprised it had any effect at all."

I approached him, and it had been quite a while since I'd been this close to him. And the other times, he was actively trying to kill me. I took in the earthy musk that clung to him, not anything like the soap and shampoo that I was used to in my time, but still oddly pleasant.

As I came within touching distance, I saw his hands twitch. "Hey, first off: did you do anything to merit her attack?"

Sesshomaru looked mildly surprsied. "No. I was just walking when she ambushed me. Sneaky wench must have disguised her presence with her powers."

I nodded and came closer. "I'm not surprised that Kikyo would bind you here just for the fuck of it. She's a twisted, conniving, hateful bitch. Maybe she was nice before she was dead, but she's messed up now."

"What is 'the fuck of it'?" Sesshomaru asked, and I snorted.

"It's a crude term. It can be used in a lot of ways, but it's considered an impolite word," I informed him.

I got close enough to almost be pressed against him as I looked between the arrow, and his claws. "Stay still, I've already done this once for your brother. And I want you to give me your word, as the Demon Lord of the West, that you won't harm me after I unbind you."

"Of course I wouldn't return your...assistance with violence. Why do you cast me as dishonorable?" Sesshomaru asked, some slight irritation in his tone.

"Not dishonorable, just...well, I'm human, I look like the priestess who just bound you here, and I hang out with your brother, who you hate. You can see why I would be cautious around someone as dangerous and probably motivated to hurt or kill me as you. You might recall our run-ins in the past weren't exactly amicable."

That seemed to appease him, probably soothe his ego, which is what I was trying for. "You have my word." I grabbed the arrow, and like the one in Inuyasha, it disintegrated in my grip. Sesshomaru fell forward into me, and I was thrown backwards by his massive weight. A hand slid swiftly around my waist to catch me, and I found myself staring into those cold eyes, wondering if I saw a spark in there.

"...thank you," he said. I was pretty stunned.

"Um, you're welcome. I guess I should be heading back..."

As I turned, he said in that same flat voice he always used, "I'm not, you know."

I turned back to him. "Not what?"

"I'm not the Lord yet. To be the Lord, I need a Lady, and the women who pursue me are repellent." He tucked a strand of hair behind one pointed ear, and looked casually off to the side instead of at me.

He was telling me this with no obligation; it was weird, but also kinda nice. I smiled. "Well, I imagine you have exacting standards that would make it hard for you to find someone. And since you've got a title and are presumably wealthy, I can see why you would disdain women who would chase you for just those things. Dog demons mate for life, right?"

That brought his eyes to meet mine. "Yes, we do..."

"So it makes sense for you to be picky and keep your standards. You live a long time, I imagine, and you wouldn't want to settle for someone and be miserable and unfulfilled for ages and ages afterward."

Sesshomaru looked at me like I had started to speak in some foreign tongue. Confusion and curiosity were both evident on his face, which was telling, since his face was only slightly more expressive than some brick walls I'd seen.

"He calls you Kagome," he said after a significant pause. "You travel with him and yearn for him even though he harbors desires for a dead clay pot."

That was like a slap. "That's none of your business! You don't know anything about Inuyasha and I."

"I know he hasn't mated you. All of his stench on you is from casual contact. But I've seen how you look at him."

Okay, now my heart was beating faster and my breathing quickening. "Again, that doesn't concern you. Why would you care about what happens between a mortal and your half-demon half-brother?"

Sesshomaru stepped back and finally looked away. "I suppose I wouldn't."

I turned to go again. He said, "Inuyasha isn't bound as closely to the lifetime mate instincts, but...he was at least partially mated to that priestess. That's why he can't leave her alone. You'd need to kill her to free his affections for yourself."

I looked back again, jaw open. "I could never hurt Inuyasha like that! And the fact that you'd suggest it gives me more good reasons why you're single. You're a jerk."

And as I turned my back on the not-Lord-of-the-West, I was too angry to be very afraid. There was a sound like growling or purring behind me, and since dogs didn't purr, I could only assume I'd pissed him off. Well, he swore not to hurt me, so I guess I'd live another day. Go me.

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 **Short one-shot that could possibly become a full fic. But I just wanted to get this idea out of my head, so I figured a one-shot would be good for that.**


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